


Covered by a Single Word

by colazitron



Series: Fic Advent 2014 [2]
Category: Stereo Kicks (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-02
Updated: 2014-12-02
Packaged: 2018-02-27 21:16:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2707073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/colazitron/pseuds/colazitron
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stereo Kicks have been eliminated from The X-Factor and Barclay's worried about what'll become of them now.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Covered by a Single Word

**Author's Note:**

  * For [aimmyarrowshigh](https://archiveofourown.org/users/aimmyarrowshigh/gifts).



They've got one more night at the House, since it's easier to cart them to all their post show interviews Monday morning from one place and if they stay the producers don't have to pay for a hotel, but they're all packing already. It's a sad sight, really, eight dejected boys shoving clothes into bags and suitcases, trying to cheer each other up occasionally and trying not to cry themselves. Barclay watches them, tries to come up with something to say to lift their spirits a bit and does a mental headcount the way he always does. Jake, James and Casey are over in their corner, Charlie's helping Reece fold his clothes because this fourteen-year-old defies all odds, there's Chris and -

hang on. Where's Tom? 

Usually he'd be here, helping and cheering and holding them together. It's what he does. Barclay worries at his lip a bit and tries hard not to think about the evasive way Tom had talked about their future as an eight piece band earlier in the evening. Since no one's currently crying, he abandons his own packing for the moment and steals out of the room, deciding to go look for him. 

It takes him a bit, but when he finds Tom downstairs in the cellar, the room they'd all used for rehearsing, he thinks he probably shouldn't have been surprised. There's no light on in the room except what's spilling in from outside. It's not pitch black, but it's certainly not light enough to really make out anything other than the vaguely boy shaped lump leaning against the wall either. 

"Hey," Tom says quietly. He doesn't move to get up and Barclay's not sure what to do. He ends up sitting down next to him. 

"Leaving us so soon?" is what he ends up asking, harsher and far more bitter than he'd let himself be with any of the other boys. He didn't even-- he hadn't meant-- he's _worried_ because Tom is _more_ than them, has songs and gigs and people saying he reminds them of + era _Ed Sheeran_ and--

"Fuck you," Tom spits and gives Barclay a shove hard enough to topple him over and make his shoulder crash into the floor painfully. He probably deserved that. 

"How dare you--" he hisses and punches Barclay's upper arm. Barclay tries to grab for him to make him stop, because this hurts, actually, but then suddenly Tom's on top of him, hitting him in the chest - not gently, but not too painfully either - and Barclay doesn't know what to _do_ , doesn't know why he said that or why Tom's so offended or how to tell Tom that he just wants him to _stay_. He doesn't want to go back to his tyres and his mates and his loneliness. 

"Why would you say that?!" Tom demands, closer to Barclay's face than he's really registered. 

"I'm sorry!" Barclay blurts, trying to hold Tom's hands still, but one of them wriggles free of his grip around Tom's wrists and moves towards his face. Barclay flinches and squeezes his eyes shut, sure he's about to be slapped but then instead--

Tom kisses him. It's a bit too far too the left, Tom doesn't quite meet his lips at first, has to readjust and even when he does it's more of a harsh press of his lips than a sweet or even sensual kiss. Barclay's so shocked his hands go slack and Tom brings the other one up to Barclay's face as well, gives the kiss a valiant go, opening his lips over Barclay's. But then Barclay can feel Tom's hands start to shake. His lips follow and then his forehead presses against Barclay's. 

"I'm fucking not gonna fucking leave," Tom says, though his voice is watery and weak and his words less heated than earlier. 

"Okay," Barclay says and wraps his arms around Tom, pulling him down, sorting out their legs. "Okay." 

He's still shaking a bit and Barclay thinks Tom might be crying when he repeats back, "Okay." 

He'll just hold him through it. 

**Author's Note:**

> Come [send me a prompt on tumblr](http://fille-lioncelle.tumblr.com/post/103812276977/multi-fandom-fic-advent), if you want. :)


End file.
